Institute for Science in Medicine

John M. Snyder, MD

Founding Fellow

Springfield, Massachusetts, USA

John Snyder, MD, FAAP, is an Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at Tufts University School of Medicine, and a practicing pediatrician at Amherst Pediatrics in Amherst, Massachusetts. Previously, he was Medical Director of the teaching clinic at Baystate Children's Hospital, and before that he was Chief of the Section of General Pediatrics and Medical Director of Pediatric Ambulatory Care at Saint Vincent's Hospital in New York City. Since 1994, Dr Snyder has been active in pediatric resident and medical student education with a particular interest in evidence-based pediatrics. His main area of interest is medical myth and the ways in which parents utilize information in making medical decisions for their children. One area of focus has been the vaccine myth, and he lectures frequently on this subject in both academic and community settings. His other activities have included: contributor to the Gotham Skeptic blog, member of the New York City Skeptics' board of advisors, and expert for BeWell.com ("A New Social Network on Health Founded by America's Top Doctors").

Dr Snyder graduated from Mount Sinai School of Medicine, completing his residency training in pediatrics at The Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City. He is board certified in pediatrics, and is a Fellow of The American Academy of Pediatrics.

“Complementary and alternative medicine in children: an analysis of the recent literature,” with P Brown, Current Opinion in Pediatrics, 2012 Aug; 24(4):539-46. [DOI] [Abstract]

“A temporary reprieve from legislative madness,” Science-Based Medicine, 2009 Dec 2. “In order to save lives, several states have announced emergency waivers of their own inane public health laws, which ban the use of thimerosal-containing vaccines for pregnant women and young children.”

“A not-so-split decision,” Science-Based Medicine, 2009 Oct 26. “For those who battle tirelessly against the never ending onslaught of anti-vaccine propaganda, misinformation, and fear, there was great news the other day from Merck. The pharmaceutical company, and maker of the MMR vaccine against measles, mumps, and rubella, has decided not to resume production of the individual, or ‘split,’ components of the vaccine. … [T]his decision is a vote against irrationality and an anti-scientific worldview that has begun to endanger society.”

“The new plague,” The Gotham Skeptic, 2009 Oct 19. “A new epidemic is creeping across parts of the US. It primarily affects infants and children of higher socio-economic status, and it has the potential to cause horrible illness and death. … It is the epidemic of parental vaccine fear, and it is a major threat to the safety of children everywhere.”

“Vaccines and the media: no room for balance,” Science-Based Medicine, 2009 Sep 2. “Matt Lauer and NBC have continued the ignominious media tradition of feigning to bring ‘balance’ to the issue of vaccine safety. … [T]he most glaring omission from the Dateline story was the failure to discuss the devastating consequences of Wakefield’s folly, and the media’s shared responsibility in it.”

“Cashing in on fear: the danger of Dr. Sears,” Science-Based Medicine, 2009 Jul 30. “Epidemiology and history has shown us that when vaccination rates drop sufficiently, outbreaks of seemingly vanquished diseases return with a vengeance....Recent outbreaks of invasive Hib disease and of measles should remind us how important it is to maintain our herd immunity against these scourges of the not-so-distant past. [Dr Sears] adds fuel to the fire, supporting the irrational fears that led to this growing trend of underimmunization.”

“Raw deal: got diarrhea?” Science-Based Medicine, 2009 May 19. “With this growing interest in unpasteurized dairy products has come an increase in the rate of food-born infections. … Unscientific and outright fraudulent claims about the health benefits (as well as the hidden dangers) of a variety of foods is on the rise. And bogus or unsupported nutrition claims are big business.”

“Georgia on my mind,” Science-Based Medicine, 2009 May 6. “What’s brewing in the state of Georgia right now should bring a chill to the spine of anyone familiar with the history of the legal threats to our vaccine supply.”

“Where’s the outrage?” Science-Based Medicine, 2009 Mar 26. “What was once a common and devastating menace to children, the dreaded nightmare of every pediatrician, was quickly brought to it’s knees. By 2006, the incidence of invasive Hib disease had been cut by 99%. Within a short period of time, the very nature of pediatric medicine seemed changed forever. That’s why I was so saddened to read the Hib surveillance data from Minnesota released by the CDC in January. … Robert Kennedy, Jr., David Kirby, and J. B. Handley believe they are fighting the noblest of fights. What they are doing, of course, is endangering lives. But more broadly, their rhetoric endangers the already fragile relationship society has with an evidence-based approach to understanding the world. It is our responsibility to make it known that the controversy is over. No, that there never was a controversy in the first place. That science and reason will not allow another child to die or suffer needlessly.”

Events:

Speaker, NECSS Conference, 2010 Apr 27.

Moderator, NECSS Conference, 2009.

The Online John Snyder:

Original material copyright 2010 by Institute for Science in Medicine, Inc. All rights reserved.